Connect the Dots
by LucidRush
Summary: Harry gathers his courage and invites Hermione to the Yule Ball. HarryxHermione Obviously. Fluff


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that lies with J.K. Rowling. If I did own it, Hermione would have ended up with someone that actually deserves her.

The idea for this fic came to me while watching Goblet of Fire and I couldn't resist doing it. There will be fluff as well as lemons and limes.

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Chapter 1: Will You Go With Me?

"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. This had been happening since Professor McGonagall had announced the Yule ball earlier, it seemed like these teeming masses of girls always had something to giggle at.

His guts still felt like they had been tied in knots and dipped in ice water. The prospect of asking any girl to a dance seemed much more horrifying than facing the Hungarian Horntail again.

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Hermione jumped to the center of attention in his mind, he had been thinking about the bushy-haired witch a lot lately. He had even sent a letter to Sirius, who told him to act like a Gryffindor and just go for it. Just being around the girl had his stomach doing back flips and his tongue twisted.

"I might." Harry said slowly. Ron just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Who then?" The youngest male Weasley was very curious now.

"I'll tell you later." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder before turning around, nearly jogging down the corridor towards the library.

Harry wasn't dense. Hermione was an attractive girl, there were probably a few guys wanting to ask her to the ball. He couldn't hold in the sigh of relief when he saw her sitting alone, a large tome splayed before her. He couldn't stop his heartbeat from picking up when he saw her bite her bottom lip in concentration.

These feelings for Hermione had been building since the end of their third year when she helped him save Sirius, he had tried holding them back since he didn't believe she would feel the same way about him but as he gazed at her, he knew he had to at least try.

Taking a deep breath, he casually walked to her table, well as casually as his now stiff legs would let him, and took a seat next to his friend. He sat in silence a few moments, mustering the courage to even talk to her at this point.

"Hey Hermione." He struggled to keep his voice even. She didn't even look up from her book.

"Hey Harry."

It was now or never. Sirius' words echoed in his mind. **Act like a Gryffindor! Just go for it!**

"Hermione…wangoballwime?" He cursed internally when his words just jumbled together and he felt his face light up.

"Huh?" Hermione casually looked up from her book, one eyebrow raised. "Care to repeat that?"

He took a few deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm. 'Now or never Potter, now or never.' He thought to himself.

"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" His voice nearly cracked and he could hear his pulse racing in his ears.

Hermione looked like she had been struck. Her eyes were wide, cheeks tinged a bit pink and her mouth was open a bit.

"Huh?" She repeated, her voice merely a squeak at this point.

Harry felt his insides tighten and felt as if he had been punched in the chest. Maybe someone already asked her, or maybe she just didn't want to go with him.

"I guess someone already asked you…" Harry tried to keep the sorrow out of his voice. He was about to gather his bag, which lie abandoned at his feet, and head back to the Gryffindor common room when her hand shot out and grasped his arm through his robes.

"No! I mean…nobody has asked me yet…I'd love to go with you Harry." She took to nibbling her bottom lip again.

"Great!" He slid out of his chair and wrapped his arms around his best friend, their outbursts earning them a glare and a pointed shush from Madam Pince.

Harry had no idea that the butterflies he was feeling were also fluttering around in Hermione's stomach as well, nor did he feel her heart as it pounded rapidly in her chest.

"I'll let you get back to your studies, see you back in the common room later." He squeezed her one last time and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. As He left the library, he had to actively try to keep from bouncing as he walked.

Hermione was still frozen in place, a smile passed across her lips while her hand trailed over her reddening cheek where Harry had kissed her.

She was nearly in shock, her own feelings for the Boy-Who-Lived had been steadily growing since their first year at Hogwarts when he took on the troll. Hermione never thought that he would return those feelings. She didn't feel pretty enough, always pushing those feelings away. Why would Harry want to be with a bossy bookworm?

Now though, she wasn't sure. He not only asked her to the ball but he had even kissed her. Hermione sat back in the leather chair, she tried to continue reading but Harry and his startlingly beautiful emerald eyes kept popping into her head.

Finally, after a time, she shut the heavy book, pushing it away from her and sunk back into the seat. Brushing her hair behind her ear, she began to wonder what she was going to wear to the ball.

XxX

Harry took the steps up the marble staircase two at a time, ignoring the indignant looks from some of the students as he brushed past them as well as the stares and giggles from the roaming 'packs' of girls.

As he entered the Gryffindor common room, he saw Ron sitting alone, a hopeless look hung on his face as a few girls a year older passed by, giggling at him when they caught him staring.

"This is impossible mate." Ron's head hung low and he ran a hand through his bright red hair.

Harry plopped down onto one of the plush chairs beside his friend, clapping him on the shoulder. "You just have to ask, Ron." He gave his friends arm a squeeze before settling back into the chair and began rummaging through his bag.

Ron turned to Harry, a shocked look marring his face. "You found someone!" It was nearly a squeal.

"Uh, yeah, I have Ron." Harry was more than a little nervous about telling his friend that he was taking Hermione to the Yule Ball.

"Who?" Ron looked like he was going to break down any minute.

"I'm taking Hermione." Ron seemed to calm down at the revelation, his shoulders relaxing a bit.

"Oh, I thought you actually had a date." Ron sighed and leaned back into the soft cushions.

Harry's brow furrowed a little as he looked over to Ron. Was it that hard to believe that he wasn't taking her as a friend but as a date?

"Ron, she is my date." Harry deadpanned. Ron looked like a fish out of water as he gaped at Harry.

Before Ron could say anything, Hermione climbed through the portrait hole. She smiled when she saw Harry; hurrying over to them she dropped her bag into an empty chair and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you for asking me to the ball." She lightly kissed his cheek and bustled up the stairs to the girl dormitory.

When Harry turned to Ron, he saw that the redhead was turning a funny shade of purple and looked like he had swallowed a handful of slugs. He just shrugged off his gob smacked friend's scandalized expression.

Harry finally pulled the book he was looking for from his bag along with a quill, ink, and some parchment. Every now and then as he set up to work he would glance up and find that his friend hadn't moved an inch.

"No matter how much you stare, it doesn't change the fact that you don't have a partner Ronald." Harry grinned and turned, greeting Hermione as she descended the staircase with a smile.

"I'm doomed." Ron set his head on the cold wood of a coffee table by the couches and covered it with his arms.

Harry and Hermione settled into their transfiguration, defense against the dark arts, and potions work; Snape, Moody, and McGonagall being the only teachers cruel enough to work them until the very last day of the first half of the term.

After agonizingly slow work, at least for Harry, he was finally able to set his potions book down, glad to no longer be entrenched in recipes for antidotes for the various poisons Snape would no doubt have waiting for them when January rolled around.

He let his gaze drift over to Hermione, her head was still buried in a book even though she had finished her own homework ages ago. She had her bushy hair pushed back behind her ears and she lightly nibbled her bottom lip as her eyes drifted through the paragraphs.

Ron had fallen asleep with his head on the table some time ago and every time the Weasley would snore a little too loudly, Hermione would level a glare at him that could wither a Devil Snare. He never noticed though, peacefully sleeping instead of trying to find a date to the ball or, heaven forbid, actually doing his homework.

Harry just smiled when the bushy-haired witch sighed and turned back to her studies. Harry was startled a bit when he realized that he could watch her like this for hours, a blush creeping across his face.

His heart beat a little faster and a little grin worked itself onto his face. Her chocolate brown eyes twinkled as they danced back and forth while she read. Harry felt like his stomach was full of butterflies and his breathing was a bit uneven.

'Why do I feel like this?' Harry was very confused. This was one of his best friends and just looking in her direction turned him into a bundle of nerves.

"Harry, are you alright?" It was her voice that yanked him from his thoughts.

Hermione had her book closed on her lap and she was staring at him, concern etched on her face.

"Do you feel alright? You look like you might be a bit feverish."

"No, I'm alright, just a little tired from all this homework." He rubbed his eyes. Hermione didn't look too convinced but she let it drop.

"Wuzzat?" Ron slowly lifted his head from the table, his eyes were droopy and a line of drool still connected the ginger boy to his impromptu pillow.

"We were wondering about your inability to acquire a date." Hermione quipped, leaning back into the plush couch.

Ron looked as if he had been slapped awake and Harry had to fight to keep from laughing at him. "Maybe you're right, I don't want to end up with a troll."

Hermione sputtered in indignation. "End up with…_what_, excuse me?"

"Well, you know." said Ron, shrugging. "I'd rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say."

Harry could tell that every word out of Ron's mouth was just digging him a deeper grave and he wisely decided not to interfere.

"Her acne's loads better lately – and she's really nice!"

"Her nose is off center." said Ron.

"Oh, I see," Hermione said, bristling. "So basically, you're going to take the best-looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"

Harry hoped Ron would quickly sprout some form of common sense and keep his mouth shut but sighed at the next words out of his friends mouth.

"Er – yeah, that sounds about right." said Ron.

"I'm going to bed." Hermione snapped. Rising to her feet, she seemed unsure about something as she tucked her book under her arm. Harry just quirked an eyebrow at his bushy-haired friend when she moved to where he was sitting. She hesitated a little before leaning down and pressing her lips to his cheek again.

"Thanks again Harry." She wrapped him in a quick but very tight hug before glaring at their redheaded friend and sweeping from the room.

XxX

The Hogwarts staff, determined to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, worked themselves into a fury decorating the school this Christmas. The castle looked nothing short of stunning. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were decked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them.

Yet Harry barely took notice of any of this. He had been too busy thinking about Hermione and the puzzle of his feelings towards her. He felt like his stomach would do flips whenever he was around her. He liked her, that much he was sure of, at least.

While Harry was losing himself to thoughts of Hermione, his ginger friend was getting very nervous. He still hadn't found a partner and as the date of the ball drew closer, Harry was convinced that Ron would begin having panic attacks any moment now.

"I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," he said gloomily, referring to the ghost that haunted the girls toilets on the second floor.

"You just have to grit your teeth and do it." Harry had finally grown tired of Ron's one man pity party and snapped at him.

He ignored Ron's hurt look and continued. "You won't get a partner unless you actually ask someone. I don't want to see you in the common room tonight unless you have a partner, alright?"

It took Ron a few seconds, as if he had trouble processing what Harry had said. A look of determination broke across his face.

"I'll do it!" Harry watched in amusement as his friend took off.

For once, Harry was in a good mood, even Snape's potion lesson couldn't bring him down and the greasy professor grudgingly gave him top marks for his concoction for the day. When the bell rang, Harry snatched his bag and took off towards the tower, even if he did get a good grade, he didn't want to be around Snape any longer than he had too.

"Fairy lights." He smiled as he looked up at the Fat Lady.

"Yes, indeed, dear!" she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit him.

To his surprise, as he entered the common room, he saw an ashen-faced Ron huddled in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, an arm around her brother as she whispered soothing words to him.

"What's up, Ron?"

He looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face. "Why did I do it?" He said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"

Ron had begun rocking back and forth at this point. Turning to Ginny, he shot her a questioning glance.

"He – sort of asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him." While her voice sounded sympathetic, her eyes held the mirth of restrained laughter.

"You _what_?"

Ron didn't answer him, he just kept rocking back and forth with his face buried in his hands. Ginny grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him away from Ron.

"I think I know someone who can go with my idiot brother."

"Brilliant! Who is it?"

XxX

"**NO!**" I won't do it! She's a complete nutter!" Ron's yelling was beginning to grate on Harry's and Ginny's nerves as they pushed him down the hall.

"She's really nice! Besides, everyone else is taken, now **GO!**" Ginny, with one final mighty heave, pushed him into an empty classroom and locked the door behind him.

Turning to the redhead with an eyebrow raised. "So who exactly did we just stick Ron in a room with?"

"Just a friend of mine from Ravenclaw, now let's head to dinner, I'm sure Hermione is missing you right about now." She smirked when Harry's face turned bright red.

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Can you guess who Ron is going to the ball with? This fic is going to be five chapters long and i really wanted to do this one as HarryxHermione is my favorite pairing. She never should have ended up with Ron. Other inspiration for this fic is the song Connect the Dots by The Spill Canvas.

Recommended Reading this chapter is the R-series by Regulus. I love these fics, I am on Prisoner of Azkaban Returns.

Please Review!


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